V845 boys' lacrosse Coach of the Year: DV's Krasulski grows with team

Friday

Jun 28, 2013 at 2:00 AMJun 28, 2013 at 2:06 AM

Jeff Krasulski never played lacrosse as a child, but when Delaware Valley ...

WILLIAM MONTGOMERY

Jeff Krasulski never played lacrosse as a child, but when Delaware Valley (Pa.) needed a varsity assistant six years ago, Krasulski, who has a background in coaching football and basketball, raised his hand.

Over the last six years, Krasulski, Varsity845's Coach of the Year, has learned plenty about the sport. He's also helped turn Delaware Valley into one of the Keystone State's up-and-coming programs.

Delaware Valley's first boys' lacrosse team finished 0-18.

The next year, Krasulski was promoted to head coach. The Warriors have been improving steadily ever since.

This spring, Delaware Valley won a third straight District 2 title and, for the first time, the Warriors won a game in the PIAA tournament. Delaware Valley finished the season with a 19-3 record, with the only losses coming to Minisink Valley, Valley Central and Conestoga (Pa.), the three-time defending Pennsylvania champion, which beat the Warriors in the PIAA quarterfinals.

“We had a moment in our state quarterfinal game,” Krasulski said. “I looked at our seniors, with most of them playing for the first time as freshmen, and I said, 'Did you ever think you'd be here right now?' Garret Midlarsky, one of our seniors, he said, 'Coach, I never thought I'd be able to cradle.'”

Five years ago, even the simple act of running down the field with the ball and keeping it away from defenders seemed like an impossible task.

The key in Delaware Valley's steady improvement was that Krasulski wasn't afraid to admit what he didn't know. He sought help from all angles, receiving training from U.S. Lacrosse and also leaning on coaches across the border in Section 9 for advice.

He also took some lessons from the sports with which he – and his players – were familiar, incorporating them into lacrosse practice.

“The biggest part was trying to make similarities to other sports as much as I could,” Krasulski said. “The basketball background really helped out in how you position yourself defensively. You're in a help position. From those basics, you build on more of the lacrosse specifics.”

Krasulski, who is assisted by Scott Nielsen and Daniel Gonzalez, is still searching for ideas from outside the program. He's often firing off emails or making phone calls, looking to build scouting reports or develop better practices.

Many of the coaches in Section 9, including Chad Lakeman at Minisink Valley, have been more than willing to lend their expertise to Krasulski.

“That's the thing about lacrosse,” said Lakeman. “The idea is that we want to see it grow as a sport. We want to help each other in terms of that. We've always been that way. It's a lacrosse mentality that's a little different from the other sports.”

“The biggest thing for me was to have great mentors over in Section 9 and in Vernon, N.J.,” Krasulski said. “We've been playing against these guys since we first started and all the coaches we've played against have taken time to answer questions and give encouragement. The camaraderie between coaches in the sport is tremendous.”

Krasulski sends three seniors off to play Division III lacrosse in college. A handful of others are hoping to play on club or intramural teams.

He's turned Delaware Valley into a winner and sent players to the next level, but Krasulski has drawn praise from his peers not so much for doing it so quickly as for doing it the right way.

“I always had the distinct impression from conversations with him, the times we would see each other across the field or talk on the phone, he's a kid that really loves the sport,” said Kingston coach Bob Cappelletti. “He also understands, first and foremost, our job is to develop young men. You're going to be a human being a lot longer than you're going to be a lacrosse player.”

Age: 30

School: Delaware Valley (Pa.)

Occupation: Mathematics teacher, Delaware Valley High School

Education: Wilkes University

Family: Wife, Raycharlyn

Career highlights: Took over as Delaware Valley head coach in 2009 ... career record of 59-41 ... win total has increased each year (5, 10, 12, 13, 19) ... his teams have won three consecutive District 2 titles (2013, 2012 and 2011) ... led the Warriors to their first PIAA state tournament victory in 2013...also coaches middle school football at Delaware Valley.